In The Throne, Song Kang-ho is Yeongjo, a king of the Joseon dynasty from the 1700s, whose relationship to his son, Prince Sado, is rather tragic. Based on true historical events, the film delves into the series of incidents that drive Yeongjo further away from his son, leading him to the extreme decision to execute Sado by locking him in a wooden rice barrel and starving him for eight days. The great Song Kang-ho insightfully and carefully examines the anguish, confusion, despair, and anger of Yeongjo without judgment, and through Song’s fair interpretation, we, the audience, are offered a space to gaze at the ruthless father/king, with better context and possible sympathy.